When will everyone in the UK be vaccinated? Accelerated vaccine rollout plan and priority groups explained

Boris Johnston has set out new, ambitious targets for vaccinating every adult in the UK, as the country prepares to welcome a ‘cautious’ easing of lockdown restrictions.

The UK government had previously revealed plans to vaccinate every adult by September, but this target has now been changed to July.

The Prime Minister has announced the roadmap out of lockdown on 22 February amid emerging data that the vaccine has had a positive impact on hospital admissions.

So, when will adults be offered the vaccine and who has already received it? This is what you need to know.

Who has been vaccinated so far?

Over 17.2 million people in the UK have now received their first jab of the Covid vaccine.

The people who have been vaccinated are made up of everyone over 70, people identified as extremely vulnerable aged over 16, some over 65s and health and social care frontline workers.

There are nine high-priority groups involved in the first phase of the vaccine rollout so once phase one is completed, all over 50s and everyone over the age of 16 who is considered extremely vulnerable will have received their first dose of the vaccine.

From March, over 65s should expect to be given their vaccine, followed by over 60s and those who care for extremely vulnerable people, then over 50s.

A further 800,000 people were added to the vaccination priority list in mid-February, for health conditions such as obesity.

By 15 April, 32 million people in the top nine priority groups should have been offered their first dose of the vaccine.

The date for achieving this target was brought forward by Boris Johnston, having been originally set for mid-May.

When will the second priority list be announced?

Government advisors and ministers from the Department of Health are expected to announce everyone included in the second wave of vaccines, in the week commencing 22 February.

It has been debated whether teachers and police officers will be a priority group, with speculation that everyone over 40 will also be a top priority.

In recent weeks, there has been concern over the low uptake of the vaccine by ethnic minority groups and questions raised around whether BAME communities should be offered the vaccine as a matter of priority.

Alongside the new priority list due to be set out, those in the first priority groups will be invited to receive their second jabs. As of 21 February, 615,146 people have already received a second dose.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will have the final say on who will be classed as a priority group for the next rollout of first doses.

Prof Adam Finn, a member of the JCVI told BBC Breakfast on 21 February: "The strategy from JCVI that's being provided as advice to the government is just being finalised at the moment, and then government will make their decision as to how